Category: Rebuilds

I will start with a disclaimer. I live aboard Satori so when it comes to boat projects, I am able to peck away at a project for as long as I need. The scupper drains will take a long time, so you will either need long days, or to be close enough to the boat to spend short periods of time over the course of a single day during daylight hours. The cost for such a repair is only what you need in materials, but you may also need to purchase one or more power tools. You will need a marine supply store that can do a better job stocking fiberglass repair products than West Marine. You may want to consider purchasing some of these products online to save money. I suggest that you preorder what you need before starting in on the project. You will also need to source a 12″ x 2″ OD fiberglass tube to replace whatever was used on the initial install. I just ordered mine from Bud Taplin of WestsailParts.com. Some installations were originally bronze pipes, others were stainless pipe, and mine were PVC pipe that were mostly sealed to the hull. The entire project may take a month, depending on how often you’re able to tackle the work and the amount of daylight at the time. I took a few weeks on the first side, going slow to get it figured out without too many mistakes. It was my first time working with polyester laminate, and more extensive epoxy work than I had ever done. I also wanted to complete the project with a professional finish. Instead of finishing with gelcoat, I could have simply painted over any fiberglass or epoxy. I could have also plugged the holes with epoxy and called it good. I figured I would not only complete my first fiberglass project, but also figure out how to do a semi-professional job. I dug in and figured it out, and now it’s another skill I carry with me that I don’t have to pay someone to do. It only costs time and materials.

A primer on sanding

The first topic I want to cover is sanding, because it is where you’ll spend money on new toys unless you own these already. To get the detail needed with controlling your fiberglass surface, you will start with a variable speed orbital sander. It will fairly easily remove gelcoat, smooth a surface to prepare for final coat, and buff the gelcoat surface to a shine. It’s a very versatile tool, and something you absolutely need when working with bare fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. The next level in detail can be achieved with a multi-tool. It has three pointed tips which will allow you to get into small spaces. You can control the speed just like the orbital sander, and even buy a cordless version to make it easier to use. Finally I suggest having a Dremel with the little drum sanding attachment. For very small detail and working an edge, this little guy cannot be beat. I also went with a cordless version, but unfortunately the battery life is pretty short. In hindsight I would have bought a corded version, but I’ve managed to make the cordless work on a number of big projects. For sandpaper you will need from 60 grit all the way to 1000 grit. You can make a few big leaps to limit the different grits you carry. I have 60, 100, 240, 400, 600, and 1000 for both the orbital sander, and the multi-tool. I would also suggest getting both a 3″ and 5″ hook and loop pad for the orbital sander so you have a versatile range of surfaces you can work with. For removing gelcoat you will use 60 grit most often. For preparing the surface for another layer or finishing, you will want to smooth to about 200 grit. For smoothing gelcoat for polishing, you will start with 200 grit to even the surface after painting, and work your way to polishing compound and a foam buffer. These tools are going to speed up your work considerably, and the different grit sanding pads are going to allow for a decent finish.

Start on the inside

You can begin by removing the original spun bronze pieces and bolts. Mine were just simple plates that were bedded with 4200. The bolts are what eventually caused the leaks. Over time the standing water corroded the bronze bolts, so I removed the bolts and plates, and was left with holes on both sides. After they were removed, I drilled out the holes to expose raw fiberglass, and then countersunk the hole a bit to allow the epoxy to have something to grip. This took about an hour max for each side. The next few hours was removing the adhesive sealant on the inside, which is only accessible through a locker. There is limited visibility on what you’re working on so you need to be creative and work patiently to get all of the sealant removed to expose the inside surface for new fiberglass. I did not remove the PVC since it was bedded pretty well already, so I added the fiberglass tube to the inside, and then built up the surface on the inside with epoxy and chopped strand mat (CSM). Epoxy has a much better adhesive quality than polyester resin, so it’s the preferred material for building a semi-structural layer against PVC. PVC does not bond very well to any adhesive, but if you give it a rough oxidized surface then epoxy has a much better chance of bonding. Spend hours chipping away at the adhesive in the locker. Take lots of breaks, use your smartphone to take photos of hard to reach places to see your progress. Remove anything that will impede in getting the job done quicker. Use whatever tool you can to assist in preparing the interior surfaces for epoxy. Once you have the surfaces prepped, start by filling the holes with epoxy. Put masking tape on the inside of the hull and use an epoxy thickener to keep the epoxy from running out of the hole. I am a fan of West System 105, 205, and 404 for epoxy work. I use a one time use syringe for filling the holes, because you can squeeze small amounts into the hole to make sure there are no air gaps. Once the holes are filled, use masking tape to cover the holes for curing. This will hold the thickened epoxy in place while it cures. Once you have the holes filled, you can start layering up the inside of the tube. If you had to remove the old tubes then here is where you would use a small amount of epoxy to set the tubes in place. I would still start with the inside and build up the corners with a combination of CSM and epoxy. It doesn’t take much. A quarter of an inch should be okay for the corners. The hull will flex, and you will want this part of the hull to flex as well. If done correctly, the fiberglass should be able to flex enough without cracking or breaking. Perhaps not. Time will tell. Once you are finished building the inside of the hull, you can work on the exterior.

Filling the drain pans

Westsail thought it would be an advantage to have a gap between the scupper drains and the drain pan. In case something small was washed or rolled into the pan you could still recover it. Seems like a good idea, right? Sure, if that area happened to be made water tight. Unfortunately it was not in their design, so ended up being a common leak point. I decided that a better feature would be to try to prevent any standing water at all, but still allow for adequate draining when a wave happens to come over the rail. Unfortunately the way Satori sits in the water, her bulwark gutters hold some water when she’s not sailing, and there is nothing I can do to prevent this without compromising the balance of the boat. Having so much standing water is not good for any boat. So in my case I decided to try to prevent as much as possible. To get both sides to drain evenly could be problematic, and probably not worth the effort. As long as water can quickly drain out of one pipe then you will have solved the problem. I cannot fix the bulwark gutters without having another major fiberglass project, but I can fix the drain pans so they have almost no standing water at all. The first thing to do is remove any gelcoat from the pan and an inch or more away from where you’ll be layering fiberglass with CSM. Once you have sanded away the gelcoat and primer you should be able to decide where the ring of water sits and begin layering up to the height of the ring. You can take several days, but the entire project should only take about four or five layers before you are finished. I say layers because polyester resin and CSM can only handle about 1/4″ before it becomes difficult to keep an even surface. I did the layers in daily increments so I could do a pour test to see how the pan was draining after every layer. To ensure proper curing, I would paint a thin layer of mold release agent after an hour of curing so I could get a proper hardness for sanding. I would sand in between layers, and then build up the next layer. Eventually I ended up with a mostly even surface, and was ready to sand for fairing compound.

Prepare for gelcoat

Once the final layer was finished curing, I used fairing compound to fill in any holes, or low spots. At first I tried to use a putty knife, but that proved to be a pain in the butt. I eventually just used my finger to smear fairing compound in places that I wanted to fill. For small low spots I did use the putty knife to flatten it for sanding. It only takes about thirty minutes to fully cure, so once it was dried I was able to take 200 grit paper and hand sand the rounded corners, and use the orbital in the flat areas. It took a couple of passes to get all of the crevasses filled and smoothed. Once I was happy with how it looked, I cleaned up and prepared for gelcoat. I’ve never worked with gelcoat before, but I figured being liberal is better than going too thin. I did a first pass using a throw away paint brush, allowed it to cure for about thirty minutes, then did another pass to fill in any areas where I could see underneath the gelcoat. Getting inside of the tubes was a bit tricky. Gelcoat is kind of runny, and difficult to work with. It wants to smooth out, and once it begins to cure, seems to want you to leave it alone. I went liberal enough to where I could go back and sand the uneven surfaces flat. I wanted to smooth the edges and blend the new gelcoat with the old. I did not want to end up with a layer that was so thin that I would end up sanding through and having to reapply. Once it was cured for about an hour, I used a foam brush to apply mould release wax over the top so it will cure hard enough that I can sand to even and blend before polishing.

Final sanding, maybe

The orbital sander at level two speed and 240 grit should allow you to level out the surface. Be careful with the edges and corners, and use the multi-tool sander for detail work. Also use level two speed, and try to be careful. Once you’ve leveled out the edges and smoothed the entire surface on both sides, you should be able to hand sand the remaining parts. You can reuse the same paper that was on the orbital and multi sanders. The Dremel will allow you to remove any runs inside of the pipes, but that’s the extent of it’s usefulness with gelcoat. There is a chance that you’ve taken off too much and so you will start to see the fiberglass layer underneath. Unfortunately this is the nature of gelcoat. You either took too much off, or the position of the sander was at an angle. Either way you will want to attempt to do another coat of gelcoat in those areas. Eventually it will blend and you will have no more fiberglass showing. Take this last step slow, and try to remove as little gelcoat as possible while sanding it even. If you need to apply more gelcoat to cover a few exposed areas, then bring it down to a coarse surface using 80 grit and hand sanding. Reapply up to an inch outside of the exposed area, let cure, then hand sand by starting on the edge and working inward. Be careful again about taking too much off. Then once you’ve blended it together, use 600, then 1000 grit to finish. If your hull is polished and shines then you will want to finish with a buffer and compound.

Final words

I warned you about how time consuming this project, didn’t I? Let me remind you that this project is going to take some time to complete. Do it right, and take your time. You will appreciate the result of your patience and effort. It’s going to also school you on fiberglass, gelcoat, and epoxy. Look at the bright side…if you do this correctly you will have minimal sanding to do. If not, then you may have to sand fiberglass and gelcoat for a while to get the best results. It’s difficult to make a mistake that cannot be undone, so keep that in mind as well. Make sure to spend some time doing your homework on polyester resin and fiberglass laminating. Also do your homework on applying gelcoat. You could spend more money on a sprayer, but this can all be accomplished with a disposable paintbrush, some plastic containers, sanding paper and acetone.

It’s been a typical Northwest winter, thankfully. The precipitation in December was perfect for laying a deep snowpack on the mountains. The torrential rains have exposed even the smallest leaks on Satori. The window to be outside on the weekdays are limited to early mornings and lunch breaks. Some days I run the Dickinson stove in combination with the space heater. Other days it’s warm enough just to keep the space heater running nonstop, but raining enough to keep me harvesting mildew on a weekly basis. Projects are still getting done, although a little bit slower than usual. I’m on track for a ocean sailing, and have still enjoyed a bit of cruising around the Salish Sea. I don’t venture very far from the marina because it’s cheaper to stay tied up to the dock, and it’s a quick trip to find the hardware I need to upgrade Satori. The lack of sun and inconsistent winds means having to charge the batteries from my engine, portable generator, or at the dock. It also means having to heat with diesel fuel, which is a much higher cost than electricity. I’m limited to how much data I can use while not connected to land based internet. I could pay more, but I don’t mind remaining here while I am still engrossed with boat projects. I have one more big project to finish and then I’ll try to head back to working while cruising. The boat project has been very slow, but the results will be rewarding once it’s finished. I am very close to having all of the rigging completely replaced, with only halyards and whisker stays remaining. Most of the winter projects are to prepare Satori for trade-wind sailing in the Pacific Ocean. If I was just sailing around the Salish, I wouldn’t need any of these modifications. I could wait until I get further south to complete these projects, but it’s probably better that I address them now while I have the money, resources, and time.

Snatch blocks for trysail or spinnaker sailsNew bobstay

Immediately after finishing the engine project I went straight to getting an inventory, and gathering and estimates on new hardware for the boom. The hardware was pretty straightforward, but I was a little concerned about the load limits. I’m not very talented at this kind of math unfortunately. I did a semi-calculated estimate on the loads, and chose hardware I thought suitable for the job. The winches were the easiest choice. I went for alloy drums but self-tailing in size 14. The self-tailing choice was because of my experience on the foredeck. Often you’re making three points of contact while using only one hand to adjust lines. One hand is keeping me balanced, while the other is doing the reefing. For the reefing blocks I decided to use Schaefer Series ,with a working load limit of 1500 lbs. They come with ball bearing sheaves which should reduce line friction, and make it easier to reef most of the way down before finishing with the winch. The rope clutches are Lewmar DC1 series, which has a working load limit of 1100 lbs. The blocks on either side of the boom equalize the load, so a combined working load of 3000 lbs. I have taken into consideration the square footage of the sail and the force being distributed by all of the sail slugs along the mast, combined with the three load points of the head, tack, and clew. The chances of the load ever achieving even half of the load limit of the blocks and rope clutches are pretty low I think.

Lewmar 14 self tailing winches with alloy drums

I’ve decided to use Amsteel for the reefing lines to keep the lines as strong and durable as possible, plus to try out a special splice that seems to be perfect for reefing and topping lift lines. Instead of buying yacht braid (also known as double braid) of entirely polyester, I was able to obtain a fair amount of Amsteel for a third of the price, which enabled me to purchase dyneema chafe sleeve and have some really trick lines for about the same price as good quality yacht braid. Instead of having a rope sheath on the entire line, I decided to only use it for areas where I will be winching and inside of the rope clutch where it is locked closed. The bury splice I used is uncommon and very time consuming splice, but is also a great way to join a double braid to single braid. You must tease out four inches of the braided sleeve, then individually thread each length of the braid into the twelve-stranded core. I could buy some cheap yacht braid line and have been done much sooner but this method reduced friction when pulling down the clew of the sail, and prevents the sail from becoming chafed and worn from the line. The life of the line could be as much as a decade or more due to the UV resistance of Dyneema. Time and experience will determine if this is the most effective line system for reefing.

While working on the boom I decided to also address some other rigging that has been on the list for some time. I managed to install the running backstays for supporting the forestay when running downwind under staysail or storm jib alone. They are a simple splice with thimbles on either end, and attached to the mast tangs with quick links. It took some serious consideration to decide how to make the attachment to the mast. There are so many options, but none seemed as simple and bomber as a stainless quick link. On the bottom end I am using a basic 2:1 block system that leads fairly to the jib sheet winch for getting the proper tension. The standard attachment is to a tang at the bottom thru-bolt of the aft stanchion, which leads perfectly to the sheet winch. Many people seem to use fiddle blocks and a cam cleat to set the tension, but I decided to simplify the system and use a more simple way of how they will be deployed. When running downwind, the leeward side is where the sails are flying. To support the mast at the head of the staysail, you deploy the running backstay on the windward side. The only thing to be aware of is if the mainsail is in use, then you need to make sure the runners do not interfere with the boom coming around.

Running backstay

As part of the boom overhaul, I have replaced the topping lift using 1/4″ Amsteel. Instead of using a block on the boom end, I have opted for a low friction ring. This will help reduce any chafe on the mainsail, yet provide plenty of strength to support the boom or if I need to use the boom for lifting or stepping the mast. The original topping lift was a 2:1 setup, and nearly impossible to raise the boom with the mainsail already deployed. Even when I released the tension from the sail by easing the traveler and mainsheet, I still could not get the boom up to mate with the reefing cringle. The topping lift was also rigged on the opposite side of the boom from the reefing lines. Now I no longer need to go back and fourth to manage the boom. I simply head to the windward side of the boom and all of the lines for reefing and raising, or lowering the boom and shaking a reef are consolidated.

Amsteel topping lift with chafe sleeve for the masthead connection

I have also decided to replace the sheet lead blocks with something more substantial. I’ve been pushing Satori quite hard and as part of the learning process, I’ve discovered that her original lead blocks are now insufficient. They were old Schaefer blocks, and one of the pins stops had already failed from the screw not being tightened properly. The new cars have more contact with the tracks, and spring loaded pin stop, and a much better setup for leading the sheets aft. I replaced the existing jib sheets, which now provide a very strong attachment to the clew via a soft shackle and eye splices on both sheet lines. I will keep the existing sheets as spares in case the new ones fail, or I need extra line for something else.

Gärhauer LLC-3 sheet lead cars

Last summer I attempted to adjust the mainsail foot tension using the outhaul system that came with Satori. It was a simple external 3:1 system with steel wire that makes a few turns and then runs along one side of the boom to a block. The whole system was full of friction, and did not work properly. I replaced the wire with Amsteel line to reduce some of the friction, but that did not seem to work. I decided that the whole system was just not meant to be adjusted more than once, while at the dock. The foot of the sail stayed tight even in light winds, so the sail shape was compromised and the outhaul proved to be useless. After reviewing a few different options, I decided the best approach would be to remove the end cap to gain access to the inside of the boom. Then I would be able to cut the entrance and exit block holes and make the new outhaul completely internal. This would reduce the clutter along the boom to three lines on each side, and make the outhaul adjustment available at the gooseneck with a simple cleat to secure the bitter end. I used the Harken formula for a 6:1 advantage.

Harken 6:1 OuthaulInternal outhaul system

I asked friends and people online about cutting into my boom. “Simple”, they said. First I had to cut into the slide track so the block insert could fit through, then cut through the actual wall of the boom. Both cuts needed to be precise in width and length, but also allow the sheave pin rivet to clear. This meant I had to cut grooves to allow the sheave pin rivet to pass through the first cut, then slide forward a quarter inch, and finally slot the block into position. Before I made any cuts, I also had to figure out how to remove the end cap that had been attached to the boom for almost forty years. None of the screws came out with a screw driver, so they all had to be drilled out with a cobalt bit. When I installed the end cap, I just added one set screw to hold the cap in place. Next time getting the cap off will be cake.

Internal outhaul sheave just after completing the slot

Fortunately the internal rigging was pretty straightforward. I already had an attachment point inside the boom, using the mainsheet bail thru-bolt. The original install did not include a compression sleeve so I made sure to oversize the hole and install the sleeve with the outhaul rigging attached. The lines to secure the internal outhaul are spliced Amsteel. The handling line will be 5/16″ yacht braid. The attachment to the mainsail will also be Amsteel soft shackle and a velcro webbing strop to keep the pulling angle low and prevent any excess load on the foot sliders. Instead of repainting the boom, I decided to just clean up the work I did, apply zinc chromate on the raw aluminum parts, and paint with a semi glossy aerosol paint. I plan on removing the mast in the near future, so I will wait when I have a place and good weather so I can prep and paint the spars with more detail and permanence.

Completed outhaul system with a simple jam cleat near the gooseneck

Installing the cheek blocks was pretty straightforward. I already had the set location from the previous reef turning blocks, so I just needed to tap the threads again and drill the additional holes. I marked the location on the opposing side of the boom, and then added the boom end blocks. The rope clutches and winches took 1/4″ fasteners, so I drilled the winches first so I could use it as a guide to leading each line fairly without causing interference. The rope clutches were mounted in a cascade with the top closest to the winch, and each preceding one further back. This allowed the lines to run fairly close together and prevented the clutches from sitting too high or too low on the boom. Because the winches are both right hand turn, the rope clutches on one side cascades up, but the other side cascades down. I’m glad I measured and checked the line routing instead of assuming that the rope clutches mirror on either side.

Rope clutches for topping lift and reefing

Back when I overhauled the bathroom and plumbing, I did not install a direct overboard for the toilet because everywhere in the Salish Sea seems to require a pump out. The few times I’ve pumped overboard have been when crossing the Straits where it’s legal and less of a chance of causing environmental harm. There is a proposed no discharge zone for the American Salish Sea, which includes the Strait of Juan de Fuca where I would normally cross to enter the San Juan Islands. Currently the law allows for discharging of waste three miles from land, so is very limited to most places in the American Salish Sea. While I’m here at Shilshole I pay for a weekly pump out, and stop off at the pump stations while cruising away from the marina. While passage making I want to be able to pump directly overboard, but also be completely safe and coast guard compliant. To be safe, I need to make sure the discharge still passes through a vented loop before passing through the boat. I also need to make sure that the junction from the vented loop does not pass effluent back into the toilet when pumping overboard, or allow the overboard system to pass into the holding tank. Finally I need to make sure the Y valve can be locked so it meets Coast Guard regulations. This means I have to use two Y valves; one for switching from holding tank to overboard, and the other to switch the flow that passes over the vented loop from the holding tank when pumping overboard, to the flow from the toilet. The cost was a little more than $120 to add a direct overboard, but now I have a very reliable and legal septic system.

Overboard discharge valve, showing the overboard selection

I bought and installed a freshwater pump two years ago but the solid state variable speed sensor has already failed. It’s a Jabsco Sensor-Max 5 gph, 40 psi VSD pump and has been great for on demand water. The pump sensor couldn’t control the pump speed so the pump cycled on and pressurized the plumbing until the hot water pressure relief valve opened on the hot water tank (about 100 psi). I didn’t realize this until I observed the inline pressure gauge ramp during one of it’s malfunction cycles. Fortunately the whole system is pex so it can handle the pressure, but I’m losing a little bit of hot water every time this happens. I bought a replacement pump, and am in the process of getting the old pump replaced or repaired under the three-year warranty. I hot swapped the pump with almost the same Jabsco pump (upgraded model) while I get the warranty squared away. Now that I have an exact spare in my inventory, I can use the diaphragm pump to run pressurized seawater for the galley and to wash/rinse above deck. I decided to remove the old manual freshwater pump from the galley sink, and replace it with a non-mixing faucet. This spring I will add a faucet hose connection in the cockpit so I can connect a hose and wash down the decks, clean the anchor and chain, or even clean up a mess from cleaning fish. I will also add a freshwater hose connection so I have both seawater and freshwater in the cockpit.

On demand freshwater and seawater faucets

I have a few more tasks before the boom is completed. I need to add an additional boom bail for the preventer and soft vang. I need to add more fairleads to the boom to prevent the lines from sagging or catching on the dodger. I have the second reef lines to splice and install. Eventually I need to plug the original holes and repaint the boom. For now I will try out the new rigging, and make sure it’s all working the way I want it to. In the next couple of months I will replace all of the halyards, and that will complete the rigging overhaul. I replaced the bobstay, but still have the whisker stays and chainplates to replace. I will wait until I haul Satori out of the water to make it a simple project. The next wave of projects will not be until April or May, where I will put Satori on land, remove all of her bottom paint, and fair her hull. She will need to be smooth for her ocean voyage so she is able to reach hull speed and still sail at a reasonable speed in light winds. The deck drains will be repaired so they no longer leak inside of the boat. Finally her prop shaft will be overhauled and if my budget allows, I will install a feathering propeller to help reduce drag in the water. Until then I will peck away at many of the small project that need completion for blue-water sailing. We’re getting close to the left turn…

Winter has arrived. Nighttime temperatures have hovered around freezing at night. The monsoon rains are here in between the cold spells, and the winds can blow upwards of thirty knots between weather systems. Days are short, and we spend a lot of time inside. Today was the darkest day in nine years. I run the diesel stove during the afternoon to warm up the cabin for the evening, and leave the AC heater running nonstop. The project for this winter is to repair Humpty (Satori’s engine) and hopefully prevent catastrophic failure in a remote place. It has been a pretty big undertaking repairing the corrosion on Satori’s engine. It’s also exciting to give a thirty year old engine a new life. Instead of watching it slowly bury itself into a shallow grave, I’ve seen a kind of resurrection. The issues are not beyond repair, but there is no guarantee that the engine will last very long either. There were times where I questioned the amount of effort to the amount of reward that was gained. It doesn’t matter really because I love engine repair, and this process has given me new insight to the condition of the engine. I would rather it wasn’t inside of a confined space, but I’ve adapted and allowed myself to be at peace with it. Eventually I learned how to do it without working too hard, getting frustrated, and avoiding injury. I learned how to keep the tools, solvents, cleaners, paints, and parts cleaned and organized without cluttering the boat. Living on a sailboat and working on a sailboat at the same time can be unforgiving. It wears on you over time, and is difficult to think about anything else. Fortunately the reward to such effort is confidence that the engine will continue to run . The cooling system overhaul eliminates compounding problems. By eliminating any leaking, I have eliminated rapid corrosion. I have also added other means to help eliminate corrosion through regular maintenance. Through a collection of wire brushes for a drill, angle grinder, and Dremel I was able to get the majority of the surface rust off of the engine block, and the external components. By replacing the rubber parts, I can trust that the connections are no longer leaking or risk hose failure. The original hose clamps have been upgraded to Awab clamps, which are less prone to rusting and can last a very long time . The attachments to the hoses will be cleaned and prepared to ensure a tight, waterproof seal. Each part has been cleaned and polished. Some have been clear coated with a high-temp enamel. Others have been painted red to match the engine. Copper has been left to create it’s own protective oxide layer. Part of the engine block has been brought down to as little surface scaling as possible, and then prepared for several coats of red paint. The second phase involves having to prep the engine, removing the rear bolts on the rear mounting bracket, then reassembling the engine. The last post I left off with the front mounting bracket being put back on and the engine being painted underneath. The biggest part being the bolts. I inventoried the bolts and assumed that the ones needing replacement would eventually come out, even if it meant drilling them out. A total of fifteen bolts were completely replaced. It’s been six weeks since I started this project and I’m at ninety-nine percent to completion.

Bukh DV 36 ME engine label

Each day at lunchtime I would choose the next errand to run on behalf of the engine. Tacoma Screw, MFCP, and Stone Way Hardware are my most popular stops. Tacoma Screw handles bolts, hell-coil kits, the occasional socket, special drill bit, solvent, adhesive, and various odds and ends. Stone Way covers the wire brushes, paints, paint brushes, rust removers, tarps, rags, and other random hardware store items. MFCP is the hose, pipe, and pipe fitting place. Tacoma Screw and MFCP are a combination of wisdom rarely found in the maritime industry in Seattle these days. Right after work is when I usually tackle the engine. I’ll work on a bolt, or clean a part, wire brush the engine block, and peck away slowly. Once I hoisted the engine off of the rear bracket I had hit phase two. From the end of October I had most of the parts figured out, and placed an order for a new water pump. The old one will be a project for the future. I will need to order a new shaft and rebuild kit for it, but that can wait. The other order was to French Marine in the UK for a few small Bukh parts. I should have bought more gaskets a long time ago, but I think at the time I was in denial about the situation. Now I have decided that I want to be able to service parts on a regular schedule and pay closer attention to it’s needs.

Engine lifted from the cockpit

Bukh transmission and engine connection. Repainted at the mount level

The biggest part of this project was tackling the corrosion. I can only remove a small area at a time due to the dust and physical exertion. I wear a respirator, gloves, and eye protection but I still get metal splinters in my gloves and dust up the nostrils. There are little wires falling off the brush all the time so I have to make sure to vacuum often. I have the drill for the majority of the brushing, which is great if you have two batteries to swap. For bigger areas and for paint removal I use the angle grinder with a burly twisted and gnarled wire head. I must be very careful not to contact anything but the engine, and make sure to keep a controlled grasp at all times. Finally for polishing and hard to reach areas I use the Dremel. After each time I tackle the engine, I end up having a good sized to clean up. Every day after I’m done, I clean parts and put everything away. This keeps living on the boat and working on the engine manageable. Taking photos is very helpful so I can study areas and take notes about how to accomplish each small portion of the engine and parts. Digging into the engine has really taught me a lot about it, and will prepare me in the future when I need to tackle it again. Most of all it’s taught me never to neglect a diesel engine.

To remove the rear bracket, I needed to first tarp the cockpit so I could pull the floor hatch and setup the engine hoist. Only a centimeter in height was needed to prop it up and relieve stress on the bracket to remove the bolts. Before resigning to chopping the bracket bolt heads off, I decided to try a set of six sided impact sockets, lots of aero-broil, some oxy-fuel heat with a jewelers tip to break the bolts free. Out of the three bolts remaining I only had one bolt head shear off. The remaining came off with an extendable half-inch ratchet and impact socket. Getting the bracket off was a landmark achievement since the remaining work was cleaning the corrosion underneath, and repainting the effected areas. Removing the sheared bolt was accomplished the same way as the front bracket. I tried to use an extractor but it was seized beyond removal, so I added a double-stacked heli-coil. This time was a little more trouble getting the coils to line up so the bolt would thread to the end. After a couple of tries I finally ended up with suitable threads. I finally have a short list to get Humpty the engine back together again. I finished removing the scale from the engine over a weekend and by the following Monday had treated the bare surface with phosphoric acid (Ospho). The next day I completed most of the engine block painting. There were a few remaining steel parts that received a clear coat once back on the engine. There is less red paint than the original engine, but at least the hoses were not painted red like before. I ended up buying a handful of HPS brand reducing couplers made of silicon. These couplers help eliminate too much of a size change between pipe connections. Each one is about fifteen dollars, and I could get them on Amazon with free delivery in less than a week. To get the hoses and couplers onto the pipes, I used alcohol between the pipe and hose to ensure that there was much less friction for sliding. Once the alcohol evaporates the hose is tightly bonded to the pipe, so the hose clamps are just to allow for increased pressure. There are more parts but there is also less likelihood of the seals leaking due to the quality of each connection. I added double hose clamps on a couple of places where a single clamp is not strong enough to prevent movement. Where there are two clamps there is a very tight seal, which gives me confidence that the engine will stay dry and corrosion free.

Cooling system partsOne of many photos, which I used to decide where to focus the scale removalOil pan with new paint. The Ospho coating is showing in some areas and perfectly acceptableOriginal seawater pump showing the reused fittingsBrand new Johnson seawater pump with thirty year old refurbished fittings

I bought the water pump from a local dealer of just water pumps. The owner and co-owner of Marelco have been in the maritime industry a long time and were very helpful with discussing possibly rebuilding the old pump. I’ve decided to buy a new pump again when the old one fails. Too much hassle for saving a hundred bucks. I only needed a couple of spare o-rings, and plate gaskets. They threw in the gaskets and I picked up a few 3″ o-rings at Tacoma screw. I wasn’t sure if the water pump had fittings already, but also had doubts that I would get off that easy. Sure enough, I had to reuse the old ones. I was able to remove the fittings from the old pump, bathe them in CLR overnight, and polish them the next day. They were like brand new again. Like the other copper fittings, they had withstood thirty years with only a little calcium buildup inside the pipes. One the same trip as the water pump, directly across the street Tacoma Screw was able to supply me with the dreaded long list of replacement bolts, nuts, and washers. The mounting bracket and exhaust flange only cost $22 to get hot tanked and bead blasted at the machine shop. They both came out so good that the machinist suggested that I get moving on treating the steel as soon as possible to prevent immediate oxidization. I did an Ospho treatment, let dry overnight, then started painted with Krylon. By today I had the engine mounted and aligned back to the prop shaft flange. Only a single gasket and coupler is preventing me from starting the engine. Sometime this week I will celebrate this achievement and move on to upgrading the boom. No rest for the weary.

I double clamped the seawater vented loop. I didn’t like connection with singles so I made this bomber. Yes I know they are not opposing Captain OCD.Heat exchanger end cap replacementBefore: Showing the corrosion and original oil pipe prior to repair in 2014After: Mounting bracket painted and installed after removing corrosion